Author Topic: My first Dynamic Block!!  (Read 12857 times)

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T.Willey

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My first Dynamic Block!!
« on: September 28, 2007, 02:20:12 PM »
Here is my first dynamic block.  It has 5 views, and a whole bunch of other stuff that goes with the views.  It is a detail bubble, then it could be used as an elevation bubble, or a section bubble (really three different styles here).  If anyone wants to give feed back on ways to improve it I'm all ears.  I think it works pretty well though.  :wink:
Tim

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Shinyhead

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2007, 02:31:34 PM »
You might be able to use a field to linked to attribute value so you only have to fill out the thing once for the double headed section. I haven't done this, but it should be possible.

T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2007, 02:47:05 PM »
You might be able to use a field to linked to attribute value so you only have to fill out the thing once for the double headed section. I haven't done this, but it should be possible.
Good idea.  I haven't used fields either, so another learning project.  I like!  :evil:

Edit:  Doesn't look like you can Chris.  Fields need to be linked, and the way it want to be linked is by object id, and since each new insert of the block gives the attributes a new object id (since they are really their own objects) it won't work.  I might be wrong though, so I will do some more research.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2007, 02:58:43 PM by T.Willey »
Tim

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whdjr

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2007, 08:09:56 AM »
It looks good Tim.  As Chris was saying it is nice to link the attributes.  I don't know how you work there but here we name our layout tabs the same name as our sheet; therefore we can put a field in for the sheet attribute.  Try to put a field in that uses a system variable called "ctab".  Then it will always show the current tab name.  Make sure you leave it an attribute though because you may not want it to always list the current sheet.

T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2007, 11:46:20 AM »
Thanks Will!  Can't do the attribute/layout name.  We use one layout per drawing (so only one sheet per drawing) and the layout name is supposed to be "Layout1".  Company wide programs look for "Layout1", so I couldn't change that.

Would be nice to be able to link them, but I think the only way to link attributes would be with a reactor, but that wouldn't help with this.  My company will not be using this block, unless I use it within the drawings I create/modify, as it's not in the standard library, and I'm not sure the consultants we use would know how to use it.
Tim

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whdjr

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2007, 01:18:23 PM »
Tim,

You can link them like this.  Once you edit the bottom pair you have to regen in order to get the other pair to update.  If you don't like the shade behind the fields you can turn that off in your options menu.

T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2007, 02:05:15 PM »
Tim,

You can link them like this.  Once you edit the bottom pair you have to regen in order to get the other pair to update.  If you don't like the shade behind the fields you can turn that off in your options menu.
Okay, you got me.  How did you do that?  I see you how you can link to the other attribute (from the attribute definition dialog box, pick the attribute, pick 'value'), but it never works with my test block.
Tim

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whdjr

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2007, 03:41:10 PM »
I put the fields in after I inserted the block.  There is a way using the 'blockplaceholder' in the fields but I've never been able to get it to work properly.

T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2007, 03:50:55 PM »
I put the fields in after I inserted the block.  There is a way using the 'blockplaceholder' in the fields but I've never been able to get it to work properly.
Okay.  I see how that works now.  Maybe I will see if I can get that 'blockplaceholder' thingy to work correctly.  Thanks again.  The cool thing is, once it's set, and you copy it around, the field updated to the new attribute.  That was nice.


Edit:  Will,

  I don't see any way to attach any option that is associated with 'BlockPlaceHolder' to an attribute to grab information from.  It seems like you can just grab information from the block you insert (block reference) or the block definition to fill in the attribute upon inserting the block.  It looks like they needed to take it a step further to do what I'm trying to do.  Oh well, at least I have your work around now.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2007, 04:10:15 PM by T.Willey »
Tim

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whdjr

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2007, 04:30:18 PM »
The 'blockplaceholder' has to be set within the block editor I believe.

T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2007, 05:50:52 PM »
The 'blockplaceholder' has to be set within the block editor I believe.
Yup, but there is no way to pick an attribute.  Here is a pic of the field editor open in the block editor.
Tim

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Crank

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2007, 02:13:33 PM »
Mark Douglas has explained this on his site.
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T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2007, 02:26:39 PM »
Mark Douglas has explained this on his site.
Thanks, but as he says it won't work with attributes that you don't have a pre-defined list for.  Maybe can tweak his idea a little, but I don't think anything will come of that.  Thanks for the link though, as I did learn something new.
Tim

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whdjr

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2007, 03:37:12 PM »
Try this Tim,

In the block editor edit attribute 'sheet2' and insert a field for the default.  In the field dialog box select 'Objects' from the Field Category and 'object' from the Field names category.  Then select the 'sheet' attribute (not sheet2) and then the 'Value' property.  Then close the field dialog box, save and close the block editor, and then save and close your block.

You will still have to regen before the attribute will update but at least it is linked.

T.Willey

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Re: My first Dynamic Block!!
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2007, 04:01:16 PM »
Try this Tim,

In the block editor edit attribute 'sheet2' and insert a field for the default.  In the field dialog box select 'Objects' from the Field Category and 'object' from the Field names category.  Then select the 'sheet' attribute (not sheet2) and then the 'Value' property.  Then close the field dialog box, save and close the block editor, and then save and close your block.

You will still have to regen before the attribute will update but at least it is linked.
I swear I tried that and couldn't get it to work.  Now I just feel dumb.... :oops:

In other words, Thanks Ron!!  It worked now.
Tim

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